Tire spreader



July 29, 1930. DE FRANCO 1,771,401

TIRE SPREADER Filed June 16. 1928 7 INVENTR E@ 5 Ewaqww `Patented July 29, 1930 vio A UNITED STATES FRANK DE FRANCO,

VPATENT OFFICEV OF WEIRTON, WEST VIRGINIA, SSIGNOR 0F ONEJIALF GEORGE KARNOPAKIS,`0F ITEIRTON, EST VIRGINIA I TIRE SPREADER Application inea :rune` 16,

This invention relates'y broadly to tire spreaders, and it hasfor its primary object to provide a device by means of which the beads of a' pneumatic tire Ycasing may be held in separated, or spread, relation to facilitate the introduction and/o1l removal of the usual 'inflatable tube.

A further object is to provide a device of the character mentioned which shall be inexpensive to manufacture, durable and conveniently usable, andPWhich shall occupy small space in the tool compartments of auto mobiles. 1

In describing the invention in detail, reference is herein had to the. accompanying modified, form of the invention;eand

Figure 5 is a section on lineff, Fig. 2;

Referring to said drawings, 1 designates the flat body portion of a heavy sheet metal plateV which` hasy itsV opposite ends turned downward at right angles to said body, vforming end terminals 2 and 3. Y

Carried on the outer face of each of said terminals intermediate its bottom edge and the angleV which it forms with the body 1,' and occupying aplane substantially parallel to that of said body, is a transverse lip or lug l designed to seat upon a bead 5a of a tire casing 5 .when said `plate has been inserted to a position `wherein the terminals 2 and 3 abut said beads interiorly for maintaining the latter separated relation.` Said lips 4 maybe rigidly mounted in place on l `said terminals in anyappropriate manner,

as by electricwelding. Mounted on the top faceof the bodygl'adjacent to each of its ends andl disposed at right angles to the plane of said body is a transverse member V6.' Said members 6 consti- 1928. v Serial No. 285,996.

tute parts affording a hand-hold or means whereby the tool may be grasped by hand to In Fig. 4L ofthe drawings the opposite ends.

of the device are in all respects alike, while inFigs. 2 and?) one end is of less Width than the other and a lug 7 is struck up, from a corner portion of the body l and occupies seated relation to a face of the adjacent member 6, being attached .to the latter, as byfspot Welding, as shownat` 8 in Fig. 3. v Y

In practice, a plurality of the spreaders herein described are employed, thesame being disposed at suitably spaced intervals about the inner periphery of the casing, as shown in Fig. V1.- So disposed, the beads 5? of the casing are maintained in spread relation, permittingra portion of a tube to be readily introduced between -tvvo adjacent spreaders, following which one of the latter is removed and introduction of the tube is i continued. The spreaders are successively removed as they aresuccessively reached in effecting introduction of the tube. l

What is claimed is- A spreader for tire casings composed of a sheet metal plate having its opposite ends extended outwardly at substantially lright angles tothe planeof the body to formteri `minals to engage the inner faces of the oppositetire casing'beads, and lips secured to 'Y the, outer faces of the terminals and extending longitudinallyof said terminals and formed .to engage the peripheral edgesof the said tire casing beads to restrict inward move-i ment of the terminals into, the tire, said Vplate having a struck up-lug, and a pair of trans-V verse members secured to the outerface of4 the plate and one of which is secured to said lug, said last named members being spaced to form a hand grip therebetween.`

, In testimony whereof, I affix my signa-` FRANK DE FnANoQ-V ture. 

